Parents' Guide to

Then Came You

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Charming stars save clichéd story; some drinking, sex.

Movie NR 2019 97 minutes
Then Came You Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

Dries
Dries Adult
April 30, 2019
age 12+

Uplifting

Good family entertainment that covers real life issues.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

THEN CAME YOU stars Asa Butterfield as Calvin, a 19-year-old hypochondriac who works with his father and older brother as a baggage handler at an Upstate New York airport. Calvin, who dropped out of college, meets Skye (Maisie Williams), a terminally ill high school senior, at a cancer support group he had no reason to attend. Ebullient Skye takes a liking to the socially awkward, introverted Calvin and convinces him to join her in completing her bucket list. In exchange, Skye offers close friendship and tips on how to bring Calvin out of his shell and not take life for granted. One of the ways she helps Calvin is by encouraging him to finally get to know his work crush, flight attendant Izzy (Nina Dobrev).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (4):

Talented young performers rescue this "dying teen" story from being a purely predictable, tear-jerking coming-of-age drama. Williams' Skye is a classic Manic Pixie Dream Girl, with her exuberant chutzpah, colorful hair, and doe-eyed persuasiveness. But she seems to exist solely to motivate withdrawn, reclusive Calvin to get outside his head and not let life pass him by -- because some people, like Skye, don't have a lot of life left to enjoy. Several times, the movie makes it seem that, despite Calvin's crush on the older and seemingly unattainable Izzy, he'll eventually fall for Skye, even though she has a devastating prognosis.

But audiences shouldn't be easily deceived: This is not The Fault in Our Stars or Now Is Good or Me and Earl and the Dying Girl or Me Before You. This is not a weepy romance; it's about how the story's central friendship impacts Calvin and helps him do more with his life. That can be frustrating, since Skye has less agency in the story than Calvin, and lot of her "to die list" goes by in a montage of sweet adventure. One of the best parts of the movie is actually Ken Jeong as a local police officer who, along with his partner, keeps bumping into Skye and Calvin and ends up helping them cross items off her list. While Then Came You isn't a standout entry in the "dying teen" genre, there's just enough heart to make it a serviceable (if sappy) pick.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the characters' friendships in Then Came You. What brings them together? What's the true measure of a real friendship? Can you think of other movies that portray powerful friend relationships?

  • How does the movie depict sex? How is it different here from how it's often portrayed in other teen movies/books? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.

  • Skye has been described as a Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Do you know what that means? If so, do you agree with the assessment? Do you think she's a realistic portrayal of a teenager dying of cancer?

  • How does the story show the importance of communication and courage? Are those important character strengths?

  • How is drinking depicted? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?

Movie Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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